Isaiah’s reading is bursting with strong imagery of promise, peace and freedom. He draws upon nature to describe this evolving messiah who is to come as a small shoot that grows until his roots reach long and wide into eternity. On that day blossoms will fill the earth, and us. This messiah will come with all the divine qualities of the Godhead. This one will be countercultural and be a faithful, strong and just advocate for those unjustly treated.
Isaiah’s prophesy, as we know, has come true in Emmanuel, Jesus. We can fill in the blanks of the messiah that Isaiah did not include. We know a lot about Jesus’ life and death. Isaiah, though, was able to see beyond the messiah’s time. He saw a life that we have yet to see and he presents to us, with certainty, a glorious time to come. We, unfortunately, in our time witness the growing divisions of wolfs and lambs, of calves and lions, the harm and the ruin of counties and people. We see the ungodly. It takes its toll on our spirits.
Isaiah offers us healing in his prophesy if we take to heart the promise of a holy mountain where there are no divisions, no harm, or ruin, and knowledge of God permeates the peace and freedom of all people. Our spirits are healed as we wait and grasp the gifts of this new holy mountain that will come - on that day, our day.